Mentor council picks new president, vice president

Mentor City Council reached a milestone with its organizational meeting this week.
The election of officers normally focuses on the president, who gets to set the agenda and run meetings. However, when council unanimously elected Janet Dowling vice president Wednesday, she became the first woman in 25 years to serve as an officer and only the second in the city’s 50 years of incorporation to be vice president. A woman has yet to serve as council president in the city.
“I tell you we’re real progressive, huh?” she said, in jest. “I’ve had a good working relationship with everyone on council. … I don’t think it was really a factor.”
She noted that Painesville City Council elected a woman vice president as well, in Lori DiNallo.
“I’m excited,” Dowling said. “Maybe times are changing.”
Ward 3 Councilman Bruce Landeg nominated Dowling.
“I really like the way Jan thinks,” he said. “She really has her own mind about things and is open-minded, and she processes things well and she’s very committed to follow up on things, and those are very good attributes of a leader.”
He said he was aware of the lack of women officers, but confirmed that gender wasn’t considered.
“You’ve got to put the best people in leadership positions,” he said.
“It’s not a novelty you’re after.”
Dowling, who helps run family business Lake County Plating Corp. with her husband, is fourth in seniority on council, behind Robert M. Shiner, Ray Kirchner and Scott Marn. She was appointed to an at-large opening in January 2011 and subsequently elected.
“I think anybody sitting up there would have been fine,” she said. “I don’t think we could lose.”
Kirchner was unanimously elected president, succeeding Marn in the role, which is up for a vote every two years. This is Kirchner’s second time at the helm, having had the position in 2006-07.
He has served on council 12 years and was on the city Planning Commission 12 years before that.
“I was in my 30s when all this started,” he said. He turns 63 in March.
Of his goals for the second go-round as president, he said, “I want to continue to take advantage of the great work this council has been doing, such as working closely with the administration in getting BeachFest, CityFest and a deer management program up and running so successfully in their first year. We will be working soon on what it is going to cost to get the marina up to proper standards as well.”
Of his vice president, he said, “I think Janet was a great choice because of her firsthand knowledge in running a small business and her ability to work well with her colleagues.”
Dowling said she likes Kirchner’s leadership style.
“He’s only served two years as president and I thought they were a very good two years for Mentor,” she said.
“He keeps the meeting moving along, he’s respectful to the public. He’s a very direct person, you always know where you stand with Ray, and I’ve always appreciated that.”